[Fiction] Dangerous Games

[z-Gu Saori]

Saori sat in the room long after Amped had left, a figure of grief even in her sky-blue dress. She had worn it because it was blue, which had become her favorite color. Mindlessly, she ran her fingers over the soft material, not really feeling the inconsistencies in the fabric or the seams she brushed over. Her mind wandered helplessly over the most foolish of things as she tried to accept what had happened and absorb the truth: she had left things get out of control. In some ways, it was worse that she had let things get this far, that they had taken the choice out of her hand.

“I think that I still have feelings for Dervish,” he had said, his blue face unusually pale. There had been pain in his beautiful blue eyes; he had been fighting these feelings and what he was saying. But they were careful and subtle, and they hadn't actually changed anything. All they had done was open his mind to doubt and let his own fears do the rest. And she had sat there, and she knew that this was her fault. She had forgotten that what she was, and they had reminded her through him.

Leaving the room, she went straight out the door, bee lining for the park across the street. The cold was intense and unpleasant, as all Chicago winters were for the young Chinese girl, and she huddled in her coat, wishing she had brought her hat with her.

Buying a particular Chicago paper at the news stand, she went to a certain bench and sat down, opening up her paper. Her hands were shaking from something other than the cold as she pretended to read for a while; finally she took the business section and tore it in half. Standing up, she dropped both halves in one can, then discarded the rest in another can.

Leaving the park, she went to an opnet café, where she checked her email. There was an op-mail for her, just as she had expected, and she quickly decoded the message in the body. Glancing at the clock, she saw that she had just enough time to make her meeting.

Half-an-hour later she was in the fiction section in a small bookstore, looking through a hard-cover Mary Higgins Clark book from 1981. She felt more than saw the man move up behind her. She tensed a little bit, but he simply murmured, “What is it?”

“I was going to break it up with him,” Saori said, and she felt the tears rise in her eyes. It wasn't just sorrow from her loss; it was shame, too. She had failed, and not just her employers, but Jonas. She had failed him most of all, for not doing as ordered and saving him from the manipulations he was feeling. It would have been a mercy to just break his heart, rather than leave him confused and guilty.

“You were given ample opportunity,” the unseen presence at her back answered. She heard him leaf through a book; to the casual observer, they were two people reading books near each other. “When you fail to do a mission, matters are removed from your hands.” There was no kindness or sympathy in his voice.

Amped wasn’t a mission, she wanted to scream, but she couldn’t choke the words out. She had gotten too close to him, and that was the problem. She had gotten too close to Long too, drawn in by his acceptance and love. She had tried to remind him of the right thing to do the day the club opened, and in doing so, she had nearly destroyed her cover. The Gu Saori she had built for her mission in the Hideyoshi house would never have spoken against her brother. Saori had let herself forget that she was here for a reason, and that reason was not to find her long-lost family. It was to protect the world from a clear and present danger, and it was a mission she for which she was uniquely suited. Not every agent could claim a blood-tie. It had given her unlimited access to the Hideyoshi house.

“Have you forgotten your mission?” the man asked.

“No,” Saori replied. “I have not forgotten.” Anger churned in her gut.

“Good. Can you proceed?”

“Yes,” Saori said. “They are letting Chein remain at the Tower for a while. He’s too sick to be moved.” Her grandfather was dying, but at least he was in the best hospital around. Once again, she cursed the fact that Neil Preston had been unable to cure him.

From behind her, the sound of the book sliding into place was a jarring thump, and Saori jumped. She didn’t look behind her, though; that would be breaking protocol. She remained in place for another five minutes then hurried out of the store.

* * *

Engaging a target was a theoretical matter of timing. But Saori knew that such timing actually needed to be very precisely done in order to look natural. So she was paying very careful attention to the argument flowing out the office just around the corner.

Another key to engaging a target was catching his attention. Saori's closet didn't contain much that would attract a man of her target's reputation, and she made a note to add a few things that might help. She would have to remain slow and subtle about it, but she was confident that she could do it without drawing unnecessary attention to herself. For now, she would have to make do with a clingy red sweater and a full black skirt. Neither were revealing enough, but they highlighted her slim body and left no doubt that she had a lovely form.

“… asinine ideas!” Sean McCline shouted, his voice thundering off the walls. “You shook down twelve-year-old girls for drug information!”

"You never know, McCline.” The answering voice was lazy and indolent, thick with dark undertones. “You never know.”

"They were Girl Scouts! And did you have to take all their cookies?” the red-headed nova shot back. "What kind of monster are you?"

"Right," Revenant sneered, "because it's not like those are three boxes of Samoas on your desk."

"That is not the point!" Sean barked. "And the boxes were already opened!" The sound of his voice combined with the sounds of him moving around the office and Saori tensed. Revenant usually left for patrols about this time, and she needed to be in motion as he started to leave. Sean McCline moved past the mouth of the hallway hiding her, his long strides carrying him away quickly.

Saori rounded the corner, fixing her face into a mask of sorrow. Had she been on top of her game, it would have been perfect, but echoes of her lingering anger at her employers was visible to the astute. Fortunately, her distaste for the coming encounter was well-hidden - her target had been selected because he was literally the only one who had access to the files, wasn't endowed with telepathy or god-like powers and was amoral enough that he might be willing to help her, down the road. Her best reason was also her worst; she could never develop feelings for a caustic, hateful man like him. Unfortunately, that also made finding reasons to spend time with him difficult, which lead to today's ruse.

Her timing was impeccable; she slammed right into Revenant’s arm, bouncing off of the larger male. She let her feet slide and her knees buckle, and she tumbled onto her ass. “Ah!” she yelped, grimacing and grabbing the shoulder that had connected with the death nova's rock-hard frame. Subtly, she glanced up at Revenant to see if he had even noticed knocking her down.

[Warren Verona]

Revenant was barely nudged by the noodle thin Asian and had to hold the thought of swatting at whatever insect mustered the gall to touch him, let alone 'push' him. His eyes were squinted in ant attempt to remain calm. Slowly he opened them and focused his soulless gaze on the frail woman. "Sorry." He said to her in a voice so unsympathetic it could have brought an infant to tears. "If you Koreans weren't so small we American's wouldn't step on you so often."

"Revenant!" Sean's voice shouted from his office, not a few feet from where Saori sat on the floor. "Quit being a di.." Sean remembered that he was in the 'office'. "Jerk. For f-Christ's sake." Sean applauded his own willpower while cursing his Irish heritage al at once.

Leaning into his office Revenant flipped Sean the bird with one hand and mouthed 'eat shit and die' while slowly pulling The Irish Eye's office door closed. Rolling his eyes he focused back on the young lady. "Here, lemme help you up." He extended a cold, lifeless, ashen hand out to her. It was rough and calloused, not soft or smooth like hers, his finger nails were black and the hint of purplish veins could be seen across the back his palm like nether worldly streaks of lightning pumping the ichor of malice through his body.

Reluctantly she accepted, hesitating for only a second at first, slightly startled at the chilliness of his grasp. "You should be more careful." The echoed hymns of torment laced the eerie ballad of his melodic voice. "Watch where you're going next time."

[z-Gu Saori]

Ass, Saori seethed, yet her face remained the same. He extended his hand to her only when the handsome red-headed man berated him. His rudeness grated over her skin like sandpaper, raising her hackles. She hated him instantly and totally.

Why did he have to be the one Knight she had a chance of completing her mission with? Given how awful he was, all she wanted to do was smack him with a bus. He was all that was wrong with American "culture" - rude, abrasive and mean-spirited. He was a monster of death.

As if his rot had spread from the inside, his hands were cold, like a corpse's, and Saori hid a shudder. She forced herself to let her soft fingers brush over his rough skin despite the crawling sensation it gave her. His black hair was long and unkempt, like a criminal’s. And those burning eyes – even they were cold, burning with something colder than fire. He was as repulsive physically as he was socially, with a twisted death fetish to complete his nasty package. Every instant she kept her flesh on his curled her stomach.

Yet, she was not supposed to hate his touch. "I am so sorry," she said softly, her eyes dropping as she bowed her head. The movement was so forced that her back started to ache. He started to turn, to walk away from her, and she knew that 'good little Chinese girl' wouldn't work with this one. Time to act a little American herself. "But if you Americans were not so big, there would be room for others to walk."

Those eerie eyes flicked back to her, and she pressed a little harder. "Does your skin change color when you warm up? Or is it always that..." Hidious. Replusive. Corpse-like. "interesting shade of blue?"

[Warren Verona]

"No, it doesn't." Quickly he jerked his hand away; slightly scratching the surface of her delectate skin with his hardened calcified nails. "I can look normal if I like." He paused momentarily, suddenly realizing all the bullshit he dealt with the last time he decided to speak to a woman other than Vivi. "And what the fuck do you care?" He asked while gazing at her, taking in her graceful frame. "When you get warm do change from emaciated, flat chested, and yellow, to something moderately attractive?"

Saori's expression shifted only for a very short moment before she quickly regained her semblance of composure. Revenant could tell she was doing her best to remain polite despite his on coming verbal assaults. He really didn't care; she looked vaguely familiar but not familiar enough for him to bother gracing her with anything but the view of his back. "If you'll excuse me. Your lack of spatial perception has already wasted enough of my time, go play a Yueqin or something, anything... just stay out of people's way." He waved her off with a few rude gestures of his hand, like he was shooing away an animal.

[z-Gu Saori]

Saori was startled. "Not many people know the true name for a moon guitar," she said, quirking an eyebrow, "and fewer say it correctly. You are a well-spoken..." corpse-barbarian, "man and I admit that is a surprise."

That little exchange had shaken her up a bit; it implied that there might be something worthwhile to the tall, gaunt man befouling the air before her. She took another look at him, wondering if she was going to have to reassess him. The thought dismayed her; she liked the idea of him being a nasty bastard with no non-nova skills beyond lighting his own farts.

"I don't care about you," she said, her voice tensing a little more, heating with irritation. Her arms crossed her narrow frame; her hands hurt where his nails had torn into her skin and his flesh had rubbed her wrong. "I thought the question; I should not have asked. For that, you have my apology. I will not be nosy again.

"And to answer your question, I do not change color or texture when I warm up," Saori said, her voice cold. "Something we have in common it seems." The only thing we have in common. "And since I have you here, did you still wish to have that tattoo done? That is, if you can stand to have a emaciated, flat chested, yellow Horimonoshi touching your fair, blue skin." She was not quite being "right" for the Saori she had built, but at this moment, she could not care.

[Warren Verona]

Tattoo? His mind spun her words around, allowing them pass through the filters of his memory to conjure up why she would ask him about a tattoo. Revenant, although he had seen her a few times as 'Amps Girlfriend' he had never actually learned that who she was, or knew that she was Long's sister. To him, she was always known simply as 'Amp's Girlfriend'.

"I'm sorry... who are you again?" His expression slipped into a very poorly hidden guise of confusion while he pointed a lazy finger in her direction. "Apparently you know me, but I don't recall ever bothering to acknowledge you. Who are you again? I don't believe I've caught your name."

[z-Gu Saori]

You approached me about the tattoo, bun chut, Saori thought, but she gathered her emotions and said, "I am Gu Saori. I know that you are Revenant, and that you once approached me about tattooing your back."

Saori summoned her power, and the air between them shimmered. A flat image formed and spun slowly; black lines thickened into a tribal design reminiscent of wings. Saori wasn't sure it was perfect, but it should be close enough for Revenant to recall. "You approached me in chat, and asked if I could do this piece for you," she said, quirking an eyebrow. "You certainly seemed to know me then."

She made the "wings" flex a little; partially it was fun, but if her memory was off, it might help remind him. "My brother advised me against going alone. He said you were a bad man." The wings shivered slightly as she said 'bad man.'

Saori wanted for comprehension or something to cross that necrotic face. She really hoped that she wouldn't have to break it down further for him; just in case, she started to prepare several monosyllable words to use.

[Warren Verona]

"Wait." He raised his hand in disbelief. "You're Gooey?" He asked, his raised palm slipping into a finger pointed at her. "You're supposed to be Long's sister? I expected a little more..." He pased as th right words escaped him for the moment. "Well... just, more." A sudden recollection of her at the opening of Babylon shot through his mind. "Ain't you also the bottle Amp is corkin'? That's where I know you from, Babylon. Where the hell's he been lately?"

[z-Gu Saori]

Gooey. He calls me Gooey. See fut jai! The Cantonese curse didn't make her feel better, especially because by all accounts, it wasn't true. At this moment, she wished it were, just so she'd have one more reason to hate him. "Amped has been busy with some aspect of Knights' work, usually the assignments further afield," she answered. The next part would be hard, but it was better to get it done.

"We were not 'corking,' and will not be," Saori said, trying to put her full distain for the term 'corking' in her voice. Her arms tightened around her body and her throat nearly closed up, but she managed to speak in an even tone as she confessed, "We are no longer together."

Just saying the words made her chest hurt, but years of concealing her feelings helped her retain a straight face. "So I am very free to do work, or to get out of your way," she replied. "Your choice." She really wasn't sure which way she wanted him to go; one way, and she might complete her mission, but on the other hand, less time around him was a delight.

[Warren Verona]

"Heh, shame he ain't around. You look like you could use it." He commented on her statement to 'corking'. "At any rate, yeah, I do remember asking you, but that was awhile ago. I'm swamped lately, I hardly have time to rub one out in the morning let alone get a tattoo done. Besides, a friend of mine, was considering getting one done the same time I got mine, so I'll have to get with her on it first."

He turned and strode away from her. His eufiber split and made way for the visibly nauseating creation of his wings; bone cracked and popped through his flesh as muscle and sinew crawled its way around the bone like a macabre grape vine. It always hurt, but he had grown a bit accustomed to the sensation and could hide it fairly well sometimes. "See ya roun', Gooey." He waved with the back of his palm, walking around the corner at the point where feathers began to bloom upon the surface of his flesh.

[z-Gu Saori]

Saori released a sigh she hadn't realized she was holding as the death-nova walked away. Still, one of her duties was information gathering, and she forced her eyes to focus on the retreating nova. As she gathered her quantum energies for powering one of her skills, she said, "You can call me Saori. Have a good patrol, Revenant." And just before he disappeared around the corner, she opened up the Loong's eye, to see into the man's heart.

When she did this, she normally saw images of animals that represented the capabilities of the nova. With Symmetry, she had seen a variety of animals; with Long, a tiger; and with Amped, cheetahs and perigrines. It was only with Timeslip that she had not seen an animal: Timeslip and now Revenant.

There was no heart to the man, only an eternal blackness that started at the core of his being and spread outward, throwing out black streaks of death and ichor. But the streaks were more than signs of the darkness in his soul; they were the bars on a prison. But those bars didn't hold inmates; they held victims. White, empty eyes focused on her; black, shadowy arms reached through the bars, their very forms tainted by his darkness.

It was clear that he was using these souls to power his body; the forming wings were being built from one of those trapped spirits. Silently, it writhed and thrashed, fighting what was happening to it, but its arms were being stretched into the wings, and its fingers were shaping into feathers. Its face was a rickus of pain, and it had no control over what was happening to it. Revenant was forcing the spirit to do his bidding - he had trapped and was forcing all of them to do his bidding.

She saw other things - spirits chained and waiting for his will to bend them in other parts of his body, like his fingertips and hovering near his node. They begged her silently from freedom from their pain, but there was nothing she could do, for his power rolled over her like a flood.

He wasn't capable of that much more power than her, he just had done more physical things with it. She could feel how easily he could kill her, how very physical he was. He was faster, stronger, and it didn't matter that his power was stolen, that he was fueled on the deaths of others - no, not even their deaths. Their very life forces powered him, and Saori turned away in disgust.

If he looked back at her, she never saw it. She was on her way to a shower.